Gateway Bride? Free Vacation? I’m not that stupid
// April 23rd, 2008 // Life and Times, Relationships, Travel
You know, I thought that something sounded a little strange when Michaele called me last night and told me that she got a call that we had won a free vacation to the Bahamas. She didn’t have a lot of info, but I figured since they’d called her at work, she might not have had time to talk too long. But what info she could tell me, just sounded a little odd. I should always go with my first instinct.
Like why, if we won, did we have to make a trip to Joplin to pick up the information? Just mail it to us. And she said that if we couldn’t make it this weekend, they’d be back through in three months. What’s that you say? Why do they make rounds? I told Michaele to call them back this morning and ask a few more questions, what she found out seems to have confirmed what I thought.
The reason that we had to go to Joplin was because that was where the presentation was that we had to go to. But we shouldn’t worry, there would be other couples there too. Sounding scammy? It should. Nothing like this comes free, and there isn’t a company on the planet that’s going to be giving away bucket loads of free trips every few months. According to the lady on the phone, we just had to go, listen to a small presentation, have a snack made for us, and answer a quick survey. In reality, it’s a sales pitch for worthless, $2500 cookware. But don’t take my word for it, read this forum thread. But don’t take their word for it, go look at the info at the Consumer Affairs site. This is just another version of the time share sale.
Here’s things as I have dug them up so far. Gateway Brides claims to be the parent company. I asked them straightforward who owns them, and was told no one. This from the lady that I called and talked to (and I might have embellished a little bit and said my profession involved law during the course of conversation). Not true. Actually, they appear to be a shell front of some kind for Royal Prestige (though I can’t confirm that they actually own Gateway Brides, but they’re sure as hell affiliated). The reason I say that is because they appear to be so far removed from the operation that the agent couldn’t answer any questions, deferring to “we just notify the people that they were selected. The presenters can answer your concerns.” Tax value of the trip? No clue. The names of the presenters? Unknown. Will they have a license on file for the drawing? Maybe. Is there any information online she could refer me to? No (a lie).
Bottom line, I should go to the presentation to get my answers. Right, how about no. Though to her credit, she sounded plenty nice, and thoroughly nervous after learning my “profession.” In reality, it appears that the trips are actually real. Even though she didn’t know of a website I could visit, there actually is a Gateway Brides site (or, depending on your locations, duplicate sites like RP Northeast, Inc. which clearly have the exact same origin). A domain that is clearly a direct marketing firm site, but one that also pointed me to V.I.P. Vacations NY. These people are essentially a vacation clearing house that deals cheap vacations to companies that then use them as an incentive. So, in theory, the trips are real. At least they were in 1985, when it looks like the picture above was taken of their president, one Vince Dima. At this point, visions of scenes from Glengarry GlenRoss are dancing in my head. Research on him reveals he’s bought a number of businesses, none of which are really related, like an ISP reseller and an insurance company. Here’s some other info, which seems to indicate that everything is pretty connected to him at the top.
YourNetPlus was originally founded in 1995, and was acquired and incorporated by President and CEO Vince Dima in 2000. Dima’s company, the 21st Century Group, owns a number of other businesses including a $30 million bridal registry business and a national vacation premium business. Taking over YourNetPlus, Dima says, was a way for his company to become involved in the Internet.
Continuing the trail, V.I.P. Vacations NY is connected to the Viva Resorts group. They own a number of resorts in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. They aren’t four or five star resorts as was told to us. In fact, the one in the Bahamas scores a poorly represented three stars. As I interpreted it, that particular review was a touch on the side of being a warning to stay away. Roving bees? Unkempt grounds? Exposed wiring? Is this somewhere you’d want to spend a honeymoon? And other info indicates that you might get hit with resort taxes, transportation fees, and surcharges during peak season.
These folks are clever, I’ll give them that. Each dangly appendage of the business seems to maintain an air of plausible deniability about them, and the interconnectedness seems to be set up that if you successfully deal through one part, another one is ready to pick up the loose ends. The presentation at 7:30PM runs about two hours (longer than they say by about double). By the time you’re done, you’re tired and just want to leave and are more susceptible to pressure. They also target engaged couples with the incentive of a “free honeymoon” and use scare tactics to make you afraid that you’ll be killing your future family with your pots and pans. You know what, if my pans will kill my family, at least they’ll die by cast iron deliciousness.
But, what to do? The cynical side of me says to go, and just use my sharp wit and stubbornness to ensure that we leave one free trip heavier, and nothing else. But that same side also says that they clearly know how to deal with people like me, since they have yet to be sued out of existence. I figure they either successfully con stupid people, or they get someone like me chasing my tail trying to beat them for the trip. Regardless, when the dust settles, they’re gone and not out anything for their trouble. I say that, because I can’t actually find a single firm case of someone actually getting the trip. While they might give you the voucher, I suspect they tack on hidden fees (besides paying for your own flight) and try to blackout date you to hell and back until the three year window is up.
So, be informed, and don’t buy in to it for a minute. Know what you’re getting into, and always remember free things seldom are.
43 Responses to “Gateway Bride? Free Vacation? I’m not that stupid”
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Didn’t I see a South Park episode like this?
I don’t watch South Park, but I remember the boat episode of The Family Guy.
Awwww disappointing!
Lets start from the start shall we. My fiance and I got one of those calls that you mentioned above saying that one of their sister companies gave them our info and they wanted us to come to a semiar about cookware. No lies, no decit, they were strait forward you sit and listen and maybe buy something and you get a few days free hotel stay. So we went. Well my fiance and I enjoy high end cookware as she works at a kitchen gadget and cookware retailer, so we maybe are alittle more educated on the matter than the person who posted the above rant. Their cookware is $5,000+ not $2,500 and believe it or not its a fair price. My fiances aunt had a set she bought from the company that actualy makes it in France and has had it for 20+ years without an issue. That being said we had no intention of buying it as we have copper core All-Clad at home, which is not that expensive but non the less very nice stuff. So we listen to the speak for 2 hours and sat at the table said we didnt want to buy anything got the vacation and left. Now we plan to honeymoon in St. Maarten for 2 free nights, yay us. So I take the time to write this to tell you that the above guy is a nut and admitted to lying in his own post when he called himself a lawyer. Also just a side note, those scare tactics are not scare tactics but facts. Aluminum cookware has been shown to cause Alzheimer’s, non-stick pans are all made with a coating that Dupont which incase you dont know is a paint company, the same company that said lead paint was safe i might add. Oh and they admit that the coating is poisonous and can build up in your system. As far as cast iron goes thats safe if you dont mind the maintaince to prevent rust. I use it myself when i go camping. All that being said just go get yourself a $150.00 set of stainless steel emrilware and rest easy knowing your food is only cantaminated with the cooks hair.
In closing the author of this had a good suggestion, always do your research and dont trust companys to be good on their word. However you shouldnt listen to people who post rants and believe them 100% either.
pardon the typo’s and poor gramer. what can i say public education and community college….
@Jeremiah: If things worked out for you, then great! I’m glad it came through for someone, and I wish you and your fiancée a good trip, and the best of luck in marriage. That would make you the first sole, confirmed example of everything being on the up and up that I know of. However, I will stand by my research, at least for the time being, because your success still pales in comparison to the complaints that have been filed by others on the matter. But like I mentioned, don’t take my word for it, go read the pages I linked to that detail example after example of unsatisfactory business practices. I’m not some random, irritated person, just one lending an additional voice to the chorus.
So yesterday, Tuesday Sept 16, 2008, I attended one of these sessions at
LaGuardia Airport Hotel
(718) 426 1500
100-15 Ditmar Blvd
East Elmhurst, NY
The name of Regional Marketing Director who claimed not to be a salesman was Rick Walczewski who gave me his business card with the following information.
501 Rte 208
Monroe, NY 10950
(800) 831-0693
I was suckered to come in to claim my “prize” the same way I’m sure others were told that they won something. They got my contact information from the Bridal Expo at the Marriot in NYC. The lady who called me said her name is Joanne (from the Bridal Dept) and that she can be reached
631-271-2025 if I had any questions.
I was told I won 3 prizes. The first is a 3 Day/2 night hotel stay at any choice of 20 destinations all inclusive w/ taxes payed for. The second was a $1000 grocery card good for groceries within a year. The third is a special offer of being able to see and buy cookware and cutlery at 20% to 40% discount.
I had my choice of a 5:30pm or 8:30pm ET to claim my prize. I chose the latter.
The night I arrived, I was surprised the hotel was in a pretty run down location [red flag #1]. When I didn’t see a billboard for the event, it should have raised some red flags also. [red flag #2] Anyway, I eventually found the room for the event which was located downstairs. I was asked to sign in and include my “claim #” which was provided by Joanne earlier. Couples started coming into the small room and as earlier posters indicated, pots and pans were all laid out. Prior to starting, Rick was being cordial and very charming. He would try to crack stupid jokes which he admitted were stupid to get everyone feeling relaxed and easy.
After 8:30pm arrived, he began promptly and started discussing the prizes. The first was the 3 day / 2 night hotel accommodations which he sold as being a high quality prize because we have our choice of the Marriott and similar type of hotels and not Motel 8 like ones, etc. He even had the audacity to claim this isn’t a scam like those timeshares where you have to attend a presentation. I was thinking to myself, isn’t that what I’m doing now? [red flag #3]
Then he talked about the Grocery Card which gives us $1000 worth of coupons etc, great for saving money. At last he finally went into the cookware and how for today we get a special opportunity of purchasing them for 20 to 40% off with no obligation to buy whatsoever.
He did a whole spiel of selling the cutlery first. He described what to look for in a quality blade, 4 by 40 high carbon steel, Rockwell hardness test of 56 out of 60, and Full Tang construction (blade goes all the way from tip to handle) as being important things to look for. He even then went on with balancing one of the blades with his finger to show the “precision” and quality of his Royal Prestige blade. He sliced a piece of paper real quickly, made fun of Ginzu knives as being knives that can only cut tin cans and non-food items. He even made references to how real chefs don’t use “cheap stuff”.
When asked why we never heard of this brand, he said Royal Prestige opted to go the route of not employing celebrities like Tiger Woods, retailers or distributors, so that they can pass the “savings” to us, the customers. He even said that if Royal Prestige were to sell to the retailer, the price point would be so high that it would not sell enough and hence the manufacturer would have to cut “quality” to keep the price low. He kept reminding the audience that quality is value, cost is not. [red flag #4] When asked why we don’t see chefs using this “high quality” brand, he indicated that for such a high quality blade the chefs would have to carry them back and forth to work implying there is a great fear of theft given the high-endness associated with Royal Prestige products. [red flag #5]
At the end, he passed the blade to the audience for review. (Thinking now: Who in their right mind would have the audience pass a sharp object around the room?) [big red flag #6] Fortunately no one was hurt and he went on to sell the cookware.
He talked about the 6 categories of cookware, Cast Iron, Enamel, Aluminum, Glass, Non-stick, & Stainless steel. He basically described the flaws with each. Easy to chip, rust, too pliable, not a good heat conductor, etc. He even made fun of non-stick vendors like Calphalon which he had labels from Calphalon’s products stating that they are just 99.7% aluminum. “So why are we paying so much more for that?”, he asks.
He reminded us again that real professionals buy real quality tools when they need to use it frequently. “It pays for itself in the long run.” Like mechanics buying “Snap-on” products and Hair stylists buying some high-end brand of shears, it’s important to have the right tool that you use everyday. Like the American household, cooking is something we do every day, so why not invest in quality that will last a life time with a 50 year warranty. They will even pay the shipping for any replacements to ensure 100% customer satisfaction. Rick even laughed at other vendors with their lifetime warranties that basically in small font exclude everything. “So what’s the point of a guarantee if you have provisions to exclude everything” implying his company is more legit and forthright.
Towards the latter end of the session, he cooked a pack of Bird’s Eye’s vegetables and made us watch a company video that he poked fun at earlier prior to showing by highlighting the exaggerated drama. This made him seem even more charming and genuine and not a company shill.
He reinforced how important it is to use their product because it kept all the nutrients in the food. No water is needed, and “can’t we just taste how good the corn and carrots are?”.
At the end of the session which was about 1 hour 45 minutes long, I think he persuaded us all. A few jumped on board and signed up quickly. Fortunately for me, I’ve been ripped off before so I never jump into a large purchase w/o having time to do some research. The scariest part was Rick is a master seller and we were so close to wanting to buy for fear of losing this one time offer [red flag #6] if we didn’t. I was so compelled that I quickly left the room and asked the hotel staff if they had a business center with Internet access that I can use, hoping to quickly confirm how wonderful an opportunity we had for such a great product. To my disbelief, the hotel staff said they didn’t have a business center. [red flag #7] It was so hard just to walk out the door in disbelief. He made us feel like we were missing out while driving back.
I wanted to share this story because I want people not to fall victim to these sales tactics. I felt terrible for the people who I saw quickly jump on these deals. I’m sure many will regret their purchase later. However, after going through it myself, I can see why it was so easy to say yes to their $2600 cookware set which he threw in a full 14 piece cutlery and 7 day 6 nights hotel stay in Cancun if we bought now.
However, we must remember the old adage, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
Good luck all.
Wow.
They just called me earlier today, and tried to get my fiance and I to show up to one of their ‘demonstrations’. The lady (her name was Sherry) said “oh, wer’e not a timeshare or anything like that…”.
But still, I knew something was up. So, I got online, and found this blog site.
Glad I did!!
Don’t fall for it!!
I received a call from them aswell. I wasn’t sure whether or not to believe it. I talked my fiance into going with me. We sat there for about and hour and thirty minutes listening to a sales person talk about why we should buy their products. He cooked us chicken, carrots, and broccoli (yummy). Then when it was over we met with him individually. He ASKED us if we wanted to purchase anything. We were never forced. Plus we both left our purse and wallet in the car just incase we had an impulse to buy. We did have a choice between 2 vacations. One was for people who didn’t want to fly… this included locations in the U.S., and only covered lodging. The other was all inclusive minus airfare. We had the option with the all inclusive package to stay in the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, or Mexico. We chose the all inclusive package. However, we have not gone just yet since we only went to the presentation just this past week. I would like to know if anyone has gone on their vacation and what their experience was like. =)
My fiance and I went to a ChefWorld Inc. presentation over this past weekend and ended up buying a set of pots. The sell was hard but the rep (Ray Cardillo) was not pushy. After getting home and reading horror stories on the various forums about other people with similar situations (and finding out how much they are selling on the internet.. much less), I got the cancellation forms ready and mailed it out overnight today so I’m within the 3 day cancellation period. After reading horror stories of people still getting charged even after sending in their cancellation letter, I ended up calling up my credit card company and canceled my old card/got a new card.
The waterless cookware product itself is very cool, but the lies (ex. product endorsed by the american heart association) that were spewed during the presentation (later debunked as I searched through them one by one) really rubbed me the wrong way and I wanted nothing to do with the company.
I consider myself lucky but I read too many stories of people getting shafted by these companies.
Oh yea and the all inclusive vacations were shady and require deposits and lots of restrictions. The grocery card is also useless. I sent all of it back with my cancellation forms. I would advise against trying to redeem any of that crap.
All the companies (Chefworld, VIP Vacations of NY) are owned by Vincent Dima as the poster mentioned and this kind of fleecing has been going on since 1979 .
I got the same phone call and my fiancee and I attended the presentation. I had to work hard to convince myself, let alone my man, to go because we are firm believers in “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” The pots and pans were impressive, but we did not buy anything because we are broke! The salesman was very nice and did not try to force us into buying anything. Before we went, I checked out the “Gateway Brides” website, and everything looked legitimate. However, today I tried to go back to the website and found that the domain name had expired and could not find the old site. I think this is more than a little fishy! We were actually excited about our trip, but now I am not so sure. I did enter for a drawing for a free honeymoon on David’s Bridal’s website, so I assume that is where they got my phone number. I am very interested to see where all of this ends up. We aren’t getting married until next July, so at least I have plenty of time to find out the truth. I would like to know exactly what the resorts are like by someone who has actually been, because the websites were very nice for the resorts, but that is very easy to fabricate. Someone please let me know if you actually go on the trip! Thanks!
Just an update on the “disappearing website”-the website is now back up and fully functional.
I just read the comments of the disgruntled consumer and can’t believe the how she is so angry about a free promotion. Vip Vacations NY has sent hundreds of thousands of satisfied consumers on vacation. We work with many resorts through out the world. All of our resorts offer upgrades and can be extended. We market our certificates to many companies as promotional travel. Viva Resorts is one of our resorts and is an all inclusive resort that caters to the consumer. The Rooms..the Food…The drinks…The activities are great. It is also true That we own Yournetplus.com one of the largest internet wholesale internet providers and Rte 208 assoc. a real estate holding company. I didn’t know it was illegal to run a successful business in this country. If anyone would need to contact me I’m at VinceDima@yournetplus.com
I ALSO RECEIVED THIS PHONE CALL FROM A SALES REP. STATING I WON A FREE TRIP, I WAS EXCITED I MUST ADMIT BECAME VERY EXCITED. UNTIL MY FIANCEE BROUGHT ME TO REALITY. HE REMINDED OF A SIMILAR TRIP WE TOOK IN LAKE PALESTINE, WHERE WE GOT TAKEN , AND I WAS SO STRESSED BEHIND TAKING A DAY OFF WORK, THINKING I WAS FINALLY GOING TO RELAX FOR THE THREE DAYS ON A RESORT. ” Man was I wrong, we end up sitting through a presentation and because at the time we did’nt have a major credit card we couldn’t stay. We still receive a so called free trip, with taxes, and pay only airfare. and some gas vouchers we never received, and a 40.00 dollar visa card. I was crying and my fiance was about to buy some gasoline if you know what i mean . Well to make a long story short, I highly oppose market companies that find it so easy to prey on young couples and hard working citiztens . Either they don’t have a consious , or just predators. Please just use your head and listen to the other reports on gateway bride. Because it will save you gas and boredom, does anyone ever receive the grocery card at least? please let me know. I also recently found out they have hired bloggers to write a statement ; Giving them praise and to convince others(new winners) that this is legit. BULLSHIT! IT IS ALL BULLSHIT, SOMEONE IS GOING TO SUE REAL SOON.
I will try to explain the marketing concept of the companies and products in question.1. Vip Vacations is an independent travel incentive company that offers promotional travel certificates to over 100 companies as advertising tools and employee incentives. We deal with many hotels and resorts which offer hotel stays during the year on a first come first serve basis. Hundreds of Thousands of Couples have enjoyed hotel stays as getaway weekends or honeymoons and just being responsible for hotel taxes… 2. We do not own Royal Prestige , RP Bride, they are one of our clients.
What our clients like Royal Prestige offer are Promotional gifts if you accept their invitation to attend a cooking seminar. Waterless and greaseless cookware has been sold direct to the consumer since the 1930’s. There are millions of homes who enjoy the benefits of quality cookware such as…Royal Prestige..Salad master… Carico..Regal..Westbend…New Era…AMC..Chef world Vita Craft..Health Craft.. Prices range from $800 to $4000 a set depending on size. I highly recommend you own any of the above cookware’s…they all have lifetime warranties and are great products
I’m reading some of the comments above…it’s remarkable. If a happy customer shares their thoughts, they are employed by the company. in our case we offer $150 to $300 per nite hotel stays, with the consumer only having to pay for hotel taxes. If you decided to pay for these rooms through a travel agent, you still would have to pay taxes. The silent majority stays silent because of the beating they get by posting their opinion. If you don’t want to receive promotional gifts or do not want to participate…just say no. Be careful when you are listening to negativity…every company has customers who will never be satified.
I am a timeshare salesman in mexico and would like to expose what is going on here. I dont know who to present this information. help me and i can help you and many others.
Lee…You work for a time share company and you want to expose your activity to this forum and that’s fine but, our program is unique…..we don’t work with timeshare communities and we don’t receive any compensation for tours. If you want to expose what you do….don’t use VIP vacations ny as your example. You might want to quit your day job if your unhappy.
We went to the presentation yesterday here in Alabama and I must say that I was pretty impressed with the cookware. Right now my husband and I have higher priorities than buying $4000 cookware. I would in the future like to purchase some of it but we are a family that does not finance anything. If we can not pay for it cash, we wait. The main reason we went to the presentation is of course to get a free trip. I was advised about the Wyndham website and that for the all inclusive we would have to pay for the transportation, which is perfectly fine. What I am trying to figure out is what is the name of the Travel Agency that is used and is my refundable deposit sent to them or this Royal Prestige company. Also, is there any other websites that have positive remarks about the trips and dealing with the agency?
I visited this all inclusive resort called charlisangels adult sex vacations, I enjoyed my time spent at the all inclusive resort where I spent 4 days 3 nights with European and Russian escorts in private beach front villa.
Hey! i just got a phone call from these people and so im just looking it up and so far nothing good…but there vacation spots in the usa ….one of them i live 10 minutes away from…(branson) and soooo i was thinking i could just go and get the vaca and just do it in branson ofcorse ill have a real honeymoon thats not in my home town lol….but i was just thinkin about doing that bcuz if its a crap place i can always come home…its only 10 mintues away……but im not sure if its true that its free and what do we have to pay for….my fiance and i are only 20 and 21 and this is both our first offer on something like this….PLEASE HELP!!! and like i said we are 20 and 21 the “presintation” is on a friday night and we dont want to waste our night for something not worth anyones time….please help’
ooooo and i however do find it interesting that if this Vince guy does own this company and everything along with so many others and is making alot of money why would he need to get on the internet and post comments on a blog that are putting his company down i’ve never seen an owner of a company act that way b4 my parents own a restaurant and ofcorse they are not going to please every person who walks through that door but they sure as hell have better things to do then look up online what people say about their place of bis.. on the net. and they would never say a word back to them for everyone to see.
Alright y’all I just went thru this. Just sit thru the cooking preview and demo, its about 2 hours. You only buy if you want to. You get some watches (cheapies) and you get a choice btwn two vaca packages, Wyndam Viva Resort or you can stay in the US. Airfare is not included and you have to pay taxes. Also you have to pay a deposit and Thursday thru Sunday is blocked out so you can’t go those days. Then you get 1000 grocery coupon which you have to wait for them to mail you the coupons after you pick them out online. All in all its really not worth your time unless you are interested in the cookware. So use your own judgement and make sure you ask questions when people give you offers like this.
Ashely G… I am an old school CEO that understands the importance of customer satisfaction….I will continue to keep answering questions and staying touch with you..the consumer.
I actually went to the same thing and got the same call and said the same thing… “What’s the freakin catch!?!” but actually me and fiance loved the cookware but didn’t purchase anything and took the Hawaii vacation FREEEEEEEEE!!! yes i said it, FREEEE!!!! so i’ll see when we get there if it is actually free =) Good luck
So i get a call from a crazy #, the first thing i think is Debt Collector! VOICEMAIL, then i actually decieded to check my voicemail and i figured let me call and see if this a scam. The lady i spoke with was very discriptive so i asked for a website and another # to call, and gave them both. My Fiance was just like any other man, “Yeah right! What’s the catch? How much we gotta pay?” and he only laughed harder when i told him it’s free if we show up. So we went and there was a rally corny sales guy but he was kind of funny. My Fiance is a cheif so he was ready to fire questions; but i must admitt, we were very impressed. Lol i never got so excited about cookware. Then the guy actually cooked boneless chicken breast, carrots and brocolli in 25 mins TOPS. No oil, and maybe 4 teaspoons of water. The funny thing is the food was really good! but anyways back to the point we decided that we just could not afford the cookware because we are broke lol. paying for our own wedding and buying a house but it was pretty awesome to get a free honeymoon. We do have to pay for our own airfare and pay a $50 refundable deposit which isn’t that bad considering we got a free 3 day 2 night free trip. I actally know a couple that did the same thing last year and they said they had a ball @ the Bahamas and drunk all they could and then they added on 2 extra days and it was pretty much worth it. So i’m excited and i’ll check back let you know how it goes.
Well, I just sent an email to you, Mr. Dima. My daughter (who loves the cookware) booked her vacation for her honeymoon. She arrived in Cancun today (Viva Wyndham Maya Resort) after getting married Sunday. Upon arrival, she was told her reservation had been cancelled due to lack of payment by VIP Vacations, NY. She is devastated and had to put her c/c down to guarantee the room. She called me (her mother) crying and terrified to eat, drink, or use the promised amenities for fear she will overdraft her credit card. She and her new husband are shell-shocked.
I am begging you–publicly and privately, to intervene.
I have hope that this is just an error. The Maya staff (especially Roquello) has been most kind to her, but the matter of payment remains unresolved.
I will not be a member of the ‘quiet masses’ if this is resolved. Mistakes happen, and it isn’t the mistake that matters, but the end result. From what you have stated in your postings, you seem to be a very dedicated individual and I am going to trust that you will help.
If it had not been past working hours at the NY office, perhaps this matter could have been resolved with a phone call to VIP Vacations NY– but since my baby called me crying from another country– I am reaching out via whatever means possible, email, websites, I would call you if I could find a number (I left you mine in the email).
I will followup this posting with the full details of the end result– positive or negative. At this moment, my youngest daughter sits crying in Cancun on what should be one of the happiest moments of her life.
Kathy…We work with the Viva Resorts corporate office. There was a mis communication with the resort. We were notified and we handled the problem. We faxed the payment receipt to the resort and your daughter was checked in. We handle thousands of customers each month and sometimes there is a mishap. I can assure you we jumped on the problem as soon as we were advised. Have you daughter call me office and we will offer her another trip she can use at her leisure.
I got a call like this and i had to go sit through a presintation for Royal Prestige dishes, and i did get a vacation, actually 2. one the the bahamas and the other i picked the location. It really was true.
Are you kidding me? What a scam. Dima, why would anyone affiliated with these “companies” be blogging to support their “legit” products? You told someone to quit their day job. You have poor grammar. You are an idiot. No successful “CEO” has to blog to fake a business. Go to hell.
We got the call to be invited to listen to this bullshit at the Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park, KS. The claim number, the websites, the lady who called us, it all sounds so sketchy. It’s pretty unfortunate this scam is still operational. They’re just out to get uneducated, naive, typical American engaged couples. I guess we won’t run out of those kind of people though.
Lick my balls Dima.
Ha…I realize you have your opinion and I can’t change your mind. I’m sorry you feel this way…..
All of these people that are voicing their negative OPINIONS and have not even been to the seminars, you’re ridiculous! This is the company’s way of getting their product out there. If you don’t like it, dont buy it! Simple as that. And “Ha”, speaking of poor grammar, you can’t even write a blog without cursing. Dima, good job dealing with these ignorant people. I for one am not uneducated and I did purchase your product and I’m very proud of my fiance and my decision.
Thank you T for your kind words…… It is an honor to have you as a customer.
Kathy G,
What happened with your daughter? Was this actually resolved?
I can answer for the company…Yes the issue was handled. Skeptic If you would like more imformation on our firm you can contact me directly at my office.
I, too, am interested to hear Kathy G’s response. How was your daughter’s honeymoon? Did you feel the service and/or compensation you received for the “mishap” reasonably acquitted the parties involved?
My fiance and I were delighted to hear that we had “been selected” to receive a free 3 day/ 2 night hotel stay, but several websites have suggested we distance ourselves from the hassles of such an “opportunity”. I would love to here more from people who have actually taken the promo trips. I will check back to this site often as it seems the most legitimate and informative of my searches thus far. Thanks in advance!
You can’t sell to a born salesman. We attended this so called no obligation presentation to redeem our prize. There is def something extremely shady about this whole thing. 1) The event was handled in one of the worst Hotels in Edison NJ 2) I could feel the shadyness of the people from that company, there was something extremely fake about them 3) they show you a warranty of their competitors and mock it by saying that the competition offers a warranty that gets voided upon using the product. However, at the end of the presentation I was tempted to buy their 10 piece set and I asked to see their written ‘Life Time Warranty” and the salesman said that it was stamped on the bottom of the pots. ONce again I asked, I would like to see the actual warranty booklet and the conditions of this so called perfect warranty. The salesman who according to him was a Regional Vicepresident ( Ken Laviscourt) told me that he did not have it with him but it would come in the mail with the purchase. FIrst of all I am not stupid, I am not going to sign away to pay for 2000 dollars worth of merchandise without reading and seeing an actual piece of real warranty. Ken told me that he would write down the warrany in hand writting and sign it so I can feel at ease with the purchase. To me this is really shady because if they take the time to ridicule the competition’s warranty, why can’t they have their own warranty at hand so interested customers can see why their warranty is perfect as they claim. Also, I asked why did I have to send 100 dollars for a free trip and they told me it was just to reserve the location and I would get it back. However, they did not have anything in writting as to how I would get it back and when. I felt something was wrong and did not pull the trigger Ken tried to push me into the sale telling me that this price would only available for today only YEAH RIGHT ! and also told me that there was no need for me to do any research because everything I needed to know is what he stated during the presentation. I am glad I went with my gut feeling and did not scammed as I am sure I can get this kind of cookware a lot cheaper without the wasted presentation. My final thoughts are, does Mercedez Bens give you free trips or coupons for buying the vehicles? IN my opinion if their cookware were as good as they advertise and are as cheap as they advertise they shouldn’t have to give you other free stuff to persuade you to buy their product. To anyone out there that attended the presentation in EDISON NJ today, call and cancel your purchases because this guy Ken got the best of you.
Vince,
I’ve been calling here and there and everywhere and getting bounced from one place to another. I even called your direct line and your mailbox was full. I really feel like I’m being given the run around here and am not happy about it. I purchased very expensive cookware from Chef World and have yet to recieve it. Moreover, I only purchased the cookware for the vacation and now I’m hearing all these horror stories!
What’s the deal?
I’m so thankful for finding this today! I am also, not a fool. I’m a young bride, my fiance and I just purchased a house, we’re paying for our own wedding, (which btw- is going to be under 10,000 dollars since we’re using that incentive for being new home owners!) So, I would assume, my fiance and I are prime targets for these scams. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories, you just saved us a ton of heartache!! I mean, when I heard 1,000 dollar gift card for groceries, I was so excited, but I knew too good to be true. Thank you!!
My fiance and I recieved two vouchers after attending and purchasing cookware. I sent in my vouchers and a personal check into the San Diego address because I live in CA and it was closer to me than the BC address, but it was sent back to me asking for a Certified Cheque/Bank Draft/International Money Order by June 30th or else my certificate would no longer be valid. I called Chef World Bride, who issued me the certificate, and they told me that the company is located in British Columbia and the San Diego location is a satellite office so all transactions are processed in Canada. I would love to believe that the vouchers are “good” but wonder why the process of booking my travel is so complicated. Why do I have to pay $100 before a travel agent will even speak to me?
I would like to hear from Pittsburgh, PA whether or not you traveled to the Bahamas and what out of pocket expenses did you have?
I just got a call from Gateway Brides today explaining to me that I won a free trip! My fiance and I are FIRM FIRM believers of the “If it is too good to be true….it is!” We were both brought up that way…our mamma’s ain’t no fools! I am so glad that I found this site….when multiple people write on a blog about a company doing people wrong. I will go with the majority rules. Also, I looked this company up on the Better Business Bureau website and I also contacted them and they have no record of this company! If they aren’t registered with the BBB, they are NO company I am interested in!